Sponsoring Cape Verde’s First African Beach Games
Excitement is building as Cape Verde prepares to host the very first African Beach Games from 14th to 23rd June.
Taking place on the Island of Sal, the games will see more than 1,000 athletes from 54 African countries compete in 11 different events: athletics, 3×3 basketball, beach handball, beach soccer, beach tennis, beach volleyball, coastal rowing, freestyle football, karate kata, kitesurfing and open-water swimming.
Considered the largest international sporting event ever held in the country, the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva, was appointed ambassador of this inaugural event. At a recent ceremony at MELIÃ Dunas Beach Resort & Spa, he was joined by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) for the signing of sponsorship protocols with nine Cape Verdean and foreign companies who are donating resources to make this important sporting event possible.
Robert Jarrett, CEO of The Resort Group, was proud to be amongst various state representatives, as well as other partners and sponsors of the games, including: CVTelecom, ASA, Electra, Correios de CV, Impar Group/BCN, Emicela, Cape Verde Post Offices, Cabocan and Coca-Cola.
The Resort Group will be welcoming and accommodating the athletes during the games, and Sol Dunas will act as the General Headquarters and provide the Olympic Village.
On behalf of the other sponsors, Robert Jarrett said that the Group’s focus in sponsoring events as big as this is not only on tourism but also on social responsibility. Addressing the room, he said:
“You’re all welcome to our home here at MELIÃ Dunas Beach Resort & Spa and Sol Dunas and the other hotels we have built in this great country. We feel privileged to be able to help, host and financially sponsor the first African Beach Games on this incredible continent and we are committed to preserving the beauty and environment of Cape Verde for all to enjoy, long term. We wish all the participants good luck in the games and may the best man win!”
Filomena Fortes, President of ANOCA, also spoke:
“Thank you to the sponsors for their trust in this event. It’s with excitement that we remind them that it is due to their belief in this event that it is now a dream coming true. Thanks to this belief, and the support from the Cape Verdean government, we were able to go to Djibouti to present our country, and, whats more, actually win the opportunity of hosting the games. I also want to thank all my team here who are working incredibly hard every day for this event to take place.”
The Minister of Sports, Fernando Elisio Freire, who presided over the ceremony, recalled the promise he made during his first trip as governor to Brazil – the promise to organise a major sporting event in Cape Verde:
“I remember how, upon seeing the Olympic Village in Brazil, I told the president of the Olympic Committee that we had to organise a great sporting event in Cape Verde! Just three years after the Olympic Games, we are here to hold that great event – the dream is coming true. The African Beach Games are part of the strategy to make Cape Verde a location that specialises in organising sporting events.”
To add to the anticipation and excitement, the sponsors were presented with African Beach Game uniforms during the ceremony – also sponsored by The Resort Group. The next few weeks will be surrounded with the buzz of last-minute preparations as Sol Dunas prepares to host an event that will go down in history.
Look out for more news on Cape Verde at this exciting time! For more information on our support for tourism and sport in Cape Verde contact our team today.